Giving Thanks for What?
by Joriel
Summary: It's thanksgiving, and Lancer is searching for something to be grateful for while in an empty city in a war torn world.


Chilling, angry winds ripped across the flat and open land that used to be Indiana before the Invid arrived, venting their fury upon the slender form of the lone male that sat curled into himself for warmth unguarded against their anger. His long blue hair was nearly ripping out at the roots, cowed into obedience to the fierce winds blowing across his body.  
  
Lancer raised his gaze to the heavens, deep blue eyes narrowing in quiet fury. He had quite had enough as of late. His dreams shattered, people he cared for killed left and right in front of him, the pain of the new friends he traveled with. It was Thanksgiving of all days...and he couldn't think of a single thing to be grateful for.  
  
And it could all be traced back to an alien named Zor. It had been Zor who had created the almost mystical protoculture that fueled the alien societies that had come to earth chasing the 'Flower of Life' that had landed here after Zor had sent the seeds to Earth, one of the few planets that could support his precious creation and allow it to flourish. Lancer wondered if the bastard had even considered what would come of his action, what consequences it would bring to the Children of Earth.  
  
The Flower had indeed flourished here, this Zor was supposedly an out and out genius, never wrong. Well, Lancer had some serious issues with his sense of morality and practicality, even if he was forced into admitting to the man's technical genius. After all, his own battle armor/cycle that he drove every day was also powered by the godforsaken  
  
stuff.  
  
So somewhere in the cosmos there had been a rather huge fuck-up, and one of the great battle fortresses manned by the giant Centraedi race came crashing into the Earth, and seemingly abandoned. Assuming after a long, cautious waiting period filled with uncertainty and fear about what may come back for it, that it had been lost in a battle of some kind and forgotten, the Children of Earth had begun to try to learn from it. Scientists and Engineers swarmed over it, trying to decode it's secrets into something useful to mankind.  
  
They had succeeded in resurrecting it from it's early grave in a hillside. Many people blamed the government's for jointly uniting on the project and achieving their success for what came after, but Lancer had read the histories set down by those who lived in the wars before his time, and understood better. The Flowers of Life were on that  
  
godforsaken ship, their seeds sent out during the crash to flourish by that alien Zor in another galaxy, without a thought to the Children of Earth.  
  
So the Centraedi came. Nearly forty feet tall and yet remarkably human like in appearance, they caused great confusion and hope for a peaceful meeting upon their arrival. Hope that was inevitable shattered by the following attacks that led into war.  
  
Once that conflict had ended, and old race calling themselves nothing other than the Robotech Masters had shown up looking to reclaim both their lost fortress, and claim the Earth as their own personal Flower of Life and Protoculture farm. And decided that when the Children of Life objected to losing their homes and their lives, they would simply  
  
eradicate them. They even brought a clone of the dead Zor with them. How nice. Just what Earth needed most, Lancer thought sarcastically as he studied the bright stars lining the sky above him.  
  
Again, his people had repelled them. He remembered a little of this second war, having been born before the end of it. And the clone of Zor had proved to be greater than the original, sacrificing his life in an attempt to undo the damage, and destroy the Flowers of Life forever. Unfortunately it had backfired, spreading them even further across Lancer's home, but nothing had ever been able to diminish the respect Lancer had for the lost Zor clone, willing to give his own life to defend a people he was not part of, to correct his original's mistake.  
  
Life had settled down for a time, and he had grown up carefree and happy. He loved singing, and his dream was to sing in all the famous halls to sold out audiences. He knew his voice brought joy to people, rather like the legendary Minmei, whose voice saved his people in the first war. He wanted to give people that hope and joy for the future. They had defeated the Robotech masters, it was over! He wanted to help his people's spirit.  
  
Then the Invid came, and took everything. His family, his dreams, his whole world. They were everywhere now, and most towns bowed to them for the simple chance to live. He and his fellow fighters only fought back because they had nothing else to lose. They had lost it all, and there were no loved ones waiting for them, no homes to return to, just the hope of saving others from this same fate.  
  
So now he was here, sitting on a rock on the edge of what should have been a bustling city called Chicago. Now it was only a large, barren ruin contrasting darker black against the sky, the absence of stars highlighting it's shape. There were no more music halls there, no businesses, no parks with happy laughing children.  
  
The only things that stirred in that city tonight were his friends and the ghosts of Chicago's glorious past. One more thing to mourn for the death of.  
  
"Are you okay?" a soft voice intruded on his gloomy thoughts as a warm blanket draped around his shoulders.  
  
Marlene.  
  
They had found her one day, naked and cringing in terror in the corner of a barn just after the Invid had sacked the town. The leader of their small group, Scott, had immediately taken to her and taken her with them until they could find a safe place for the amnesiac. Later Scott admitted that she bore a rather striking resemblance to the girl he was going to marry who had died when his ship crashed, stranding him on Earth with no way to let the rest of his Fleet know the fate of Earth that they had been sent to investigate  
  
"Thank you," he said softly, not meeting her eyes. Ever since he had met the new Invid in their human forms, he had a sinking suspician about where Marlene had really come from. But he didn't have the heart to tell Scott or the others. She fought every bit as hard for their future. More importantly, there was no duplicity in her dark eyes. Just clear, shining innocence. If he was right, and the Invid had made her, something had gone wrong. That was enough for him, he didn't feel the need to hurt others for the accident of their birth. And if he was wrong, he could harm her even more than her current state.  
  
"Won't you come inside? Dinner is nearly done, the others are worried about you," she said softly, watching him with her quiet stare.  
  
The others. Scott, their brave leader, who sometimes was a bit too trusting and honorable when dealing with the deceptive Invid. Rand, the street kid who had lost everything to their invasion and grew up only on his wits. Rook, another one who'd lost it all, growing up in one of the numerous gangs that sprung up all over the world as a way to protect  
  
each other in these strange new times. Annie, the lost little girl with no family and no one else to take care of her, a bright spark of energy and enthusiasm in this dreary world of war. Lunk, the gentle giant who quietly fixed things and generally followed Scott's orders, waging an inner battle with himself in the quest for courage over the one time he  
  
ran from battle. And Marlene, always looking to find out who she is, and who she can be, yet surprisingly wise.  
  
He did have something to be grateful for after all.  
  
"Yes, I'm ready to come in now. I have finally found something to give thanks for."  
  
Marlene only nodded and smiled, understanding in her gaze. "I think we all have, at last. It has been a hard road for us all, but we are still together, and not torn to shreds inside. That is what I am grateful for."  
  
"Me too Marlene, more than you can now. Let's go eat." 


End file.
